Prof. Dr. Luka Čičin-Šain participates in RESIST research projects B6 and B9.
| My Research Interest in RESIST |
Our research focus in RESIST is the identification of HCMV-related immune pathology in aging populations. Our lab will assay the functional capacity of HCMV specific T cells to respond to stimulation by viral antigens and to control HCMV replication in aging populations and will analyse the effect of any immunological dysfunctions on latent viral burden and on clinical disease with inflammatory basis of unknown ethiology.
Prof. Čičin-Šain about his scientific work
Prof. Dr. Luka Čičin-Šain – Curriculum Vitae
Current Position
Since 2021 Head of Research Group “Viral Immunology”, HZI
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training
1990 – 1996 Study of human medicine at Medical School, University of Rijeka,Croatia
1996 Medical Doctorate (Dr. med.; Supervisor Dr. med. A Fuzinac)
1999 – 2004 Postgraduate studies in Biomedicine at Medical School, University of Rijeka,Croatia
2004 Master in Biomedicine (Mr. Sci.; Supervisor Prof. Dr. S. Jonjic)
2006 PhD in Biomedicine (Dr. Sci.; Supervisor Prof. Dr. S. Jonjic)
Academic and Research Posts
1996 Instructor, Department of Anatomy, Reijka School of Medicine, Croatia
1997 – 1998 Research Fellow, Immunology Group, CMB, Lund University, Sweden
1999 – 2001 Master/PhD Student, Histology and Embryology Department, Rijeka School of Medicine, Croatia
2001 – 2004 Research Fellow, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, LMU, Munich, Germany
2004 – 2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute – OHSU, Portland, USA
2007 – 2009 Research Assist. Professor, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute – OHSU, Portland, USA
2010 – 2015 Junior Group Leader , HZI, Germany
Since 2015 Group Leader, HZI, Germany
Other Scientific Roles
Since 2011 Speaker, Helmholtz Virtual Institute VISTRIE (‘Viral Strategies of Immune Evasion’)
Since 2015 Coordinator of the Infect-ERA network eDEVILLI (‘early Determinants of DNA-Virus Lytic and Latent Infection’)
2016 Member of the Infect-ERA selection committee
2018 Coordinator of the Helmholtz-EU Partnership consortium MCMVaccine
Awards and Prizes
1993 – 1996 Scholarship for gifted students of the City of Rijeka
2005 DFG Postdoctoral Fellowship
2005 Tartar Trust Award, OHSU Foundation
2011 ERC Starting Grant
10 Selected Publications (of > 35 original publications)
Contreras, NA; Sitnik, KM; Jeftic, I; Coplen, C; Čičin-Šain, L; Nikolich-Zugich, J. Lifelong control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) by T resident memory cells in the adipose tissue results in inflammation and hyperglycemia. PLOS Pathogens 15(6):e1007890. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007890
Kasmapour B, Kubsch T, Rand U, Eiz-Vesper B, Messerle M, Vondran FWR, Wiegmann B, Haverich A, Čičin- Šain L. Myeloid dendritic cells repress human cytomegalovirus gene expression and spread by releasing interferon-unrelated soluble antiviral factors 2018 J Virol. 92(1). pii: e01138-17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01138-17.
Borkner L, Sitnik KM, Dekhtiarenko I, Tao R, Pulm AK, Drexler I, Čičin-Šain L. Immune Protection by a Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Vector Expressing a Single Low-avidity Epitope. J. Immunol. 2017 199(5):1737-1747
Dekhtiarenko I, Ratts RB, Blatnik R, Lee LN, Fischer S, Borkner L, Oduro JD, Marandu TF, Hoppe S, Ruzsics Z, Sonnemann JK, Mansouri M, Meyer C, Lemmermann NAW, Holtappels R, Arens R, Klenerman P, Früh K, Reddehase MJ, Riemer AB, Čičin-Šain L. Peptide processing is critical for T-cell memory inflation and may be optimized to improve immune protection by CMV-based vaccine vectors PLOS Pathog. 2016; 12(12):e1006072
Dağ F, Dölken L, Holzki J, Drabig A, Weingärtner A, Conte I, Geffers R, Davenport C, Rand U, Adler A, Wirth D, Messerle M, Hauser H, Čičin-Šain L. Reversible Silencing of Cytomegalovirus Genomes by Type I Interferon Governs Virus Latency PLoS Pathogens. 2014; 10(2): e1003962.
Dekhtiarenko I., Jarvis M.A., Ruzcics Z., Čičin-Šain L. The Context of Gene Expression Defines the Immunodominance Hierarchy of CMV Antigens. Journal of Immunology. 2013; 190(7):3399-409
Čičin-Šain L., Brien J.D., Uhrlaub J., Drabig, A., Marandu T.F., Nikolich-Zugich, J*. Cytomegalovirus Infection Impairs Immune Responses and Accentuates T-cell pool Changes Observed in Aging Mice. PLoS Pathogens. 2012; 8(8): e1002849.
Čičin-Šain L., Hagen S., Sylwester, A., Siess, D., Currier, N. Legasse, A., Fischer, M.B., Koudelka, C., Mori, T., Axthelm, M.J., Nikolich-Zugich J. Picker L.J. Cytomegalovirus-Specific T-cell Immunity Is not Compromised in Old Rhesus Monkeys. Journal of Immunology. 2011; 187(4):1722-32.
Čičin-Šain L., Smyk-Pearson S., Fisher M.B., Currier N., Koudelka C., Nikolich-Zugich D., Legasse, A., Tackit S., Axthelm, M.J., Mori, M. Lewinsohn D., Nikolich-Zugich J. Loss of naïve T-cells and repertoire constriction predict poor response to vaccination in old primates. Journal of Immunology; 2010; 184(12):6739-45.
Čičin-Šain L., Messaoudi I., Park B., Currier N., Planer S., Fischer M, Tackitt S., Nikolich-Zugich D., Legasse A., Axthelm M.K., Picker L.J., Mori M. and Nikolich-Zugich J. Dramatic Increase in Naïve T-Cell Turnover is Linked to Loss of Naïve T-cells from Old Primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007; 104(50):19960-5.
